Most Rochester School Board races uncontested Following candidates face no challenge

Saturday

Nov 2, 2013 at 3:15 AM

By Mikaela K. Reynoldsmreynolds@fosters.com

ROCHESTER — There are only three races for School Board seats in this year’s election. All other seats are uncontested.

Pat Carroll, 57, of 19 Rochester Ave. works as a stay-at-home mother. She attended some college at Fitchburg State. For four years, she served as a volunteer and coach for the Special Olympics and on Boards for Family Support for Community Partners and Partners in Health. She is now taking a volunteer advocacy course through the Parent Information Center.

Carroll’s husband, Ralph, manages the Friendly’s in Rochester. They have six children and two grandchildren.

“I would like to be able to make a difference in the quality of education for our children in Rochester,” she said.

Carroll was recently appointed to Ward 6 Seat A and is now running uncontested for that seat.

Audrey Stevens, 55, of 8 Lisa Lane, is an incumbent board member and works as an office administrator at a dental office. She attended the University of Maine and now serves as a state representative and on the Child and Family Law Committee. She is very involved with the PTA at Maple Street Magnet School and is involved with St. Mary Church.

Stevens is married to David, a retired sergeant major for the U.S. Army. She has a son who graduated from Spaulding High School and a daughter who is attending Maple Street.

She has lived in Rochester for 30 years and served on the School Board for 10 years.

“The biggest issue for the school board is the competencies and core curriculum. We need to tweak it, make it our own, and make it successful,” she said.

Stevens is running unopposed for Ward 1 Seat B.

Also a board incumbent, Dan Harkinson, 61, of 15 Nature Lane, works as a lawyer with a focus on family law. He attended Davidson College and Boston University Law School. He’s served on the Board of the Gaffney Home for 20 years and is an active member of First Church Congregational.

His wife, Caroline McCarley, also serves on the School Board. Their three children all went through the Rochester School system. He and his wife have one grandchild.

Harkinson grew up in Rochester and returned after college in 1987.

“I am committed to improving Rochester public schools. I believe strongly our schools are good and can be better,” he said.

Harkinson served on the board for six years in the early 2000s and was elected to the board again in 2011. He holds Ward 2 Seat A and is running uncontested for that seat.

Sue O’Connor, 58, of 47 Walnut St., works as a sales associate at Home Depot and owns Save Our Students. She holds an associate degree from Middlesex Community College and a Medical Transcription Certificate from San Diego College. She self-taught education law.

She is married to Thomas and has one child. They have four grandchildren, three of whom are in the Rochester school system.

O’Connor grew up outside of Boston and has been living in Rochester for 22 years.

Like others, O’Connor said she’s on the board “to improve our education.”

She has been on the School Board for two years. She is running uncontested for her current seat in Ward 4 Seat B.

Matt Pappas, 43, of 72 Stillwater Circle, works as a history teacher at Oyster River High School in Durham. He holds a B.A. from UNH and Masters in Education from Notre Dame College. A current School Board member, Pappas is on the Gonic School PTA and serves as the chair of the Playground Committee.

He and his wife, Elizabeth, have two children who attend Gonic School. They’ve been living in the city for 11 years.

“I’m running for many reasons with the main reason being just doing my part in ensuring the children of Rochester receive as good of an education as we can provide,” said Pappas, “and I feel like my background as a teacher puts me in great position to do my part for the city.”

Pappas currently holds Seat B in Ward 3 and is running uncontested for the position.

Anthony Pastelis, 56, of 70 Pine St., is a professor of teacher education at Endicott College in Beverly, Mass. He holds a B.S. from Northeastern Liberal Arts, a masters in Education from Emmanuel College, and a P.H.d. in Education Administration from Boston College. He has served as a teacher and superintendent of schools. He is the vice president of the N.H. School Board Association.

He and his wife, Andrea, have two children, and have lived in the city for 10 years.

“We have a good school system that can be better. I’m proud of some of the things we’ve been able to accomplish in my time on the board,” said Pastelis. He said he hopes to accomplish more.

He has served on the School Board for four terms. He is running uncontested for his current seat, Ward 4 Seat A.

Bob Watson, 59, of 11 Paradis Drive, is a realtor with Better Homes and Gardens and Masiello Group. He holds a B.S. from Plymouth State and a Masters of Education form Boston University. He serves as a Strafford County Commissioner and was a founder of the Rochester School District Foundation along with Pastelis and McCarley.

His wife, Claudia Watson, works as a guidance counselor at Spaulding. They have two daughters who went through the Rochester School system. He has lived in the city for 30 years.

“I know the value of a strong public education system. It’s one of the cornerstones of our nation. My kids attended Rochester schools and did very well. They’ve gone on to be very successful,” he said. “It’s rewarding to have a positive impact on the lives of our local kids.”

Watson has served on the School Board for 16 years and has serves as the Chair for the last 6. He is running unopposed for Ward 6 Seat B.

Jenn Bryant, 37, of 22 David Blvd., works as the billing administrator for Riverside Rest Home. The Spaulding graduate holds an associate degree in science with a background in Early Childhood education.

Her husband, Gary, is an accountant and a coach for Spaulding’s varsity baseball team. They have two children, one in the high school and one at East Rochester School.

Bryant was born and raised in the city.

“I am running because its something new. I want to be more involved in the town, in the school systems. It’s time for new people, new blood, new voices,” she said.

Bryant is running for her first term. She is running unopposed for Ward 1 Seat A.

Paul Lynch, 35, of 29 Ian’s Way, works as a project development manager for Globaltek Components. He graduate from Spaulding and took courses at Great Bay Community College. He works with the Rochester School District Foundation.

He and his wife, Alisha, have two sons, one at the middle school and one at McClelland School. They have lived in the city since 2005.

“I chose to run because I wanted to be a part of the educational system my children were in. I wanted to know the direction they were going and what I could contribute,” said Lynch.

He has served on the School Board for two years and is running unopposed for his current seat, Ward 5 Seat B.

Julie Brown, 78, of 6 Caribbean Lane, is retired. She serves on two adoption boards in Concord and is the vice chair of the board of directors for Meals on Wheels. She attended Worcester State Teacher’s College.

She has four children and seven great grandchildren. All of her children graduated from the Rochester school system. Brown has lived in the city for 44 years.

“I want to be a voice for the kids and see that they have the best education we can provide. When were not here anymore, they will take over where we are so we want them to be very well-educated,” she said.

Brown has been on the School Board for four years and is running uncontested for Ward 3 Seat A.